Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Animal scientist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an animal scientist. Animal scientists usually study biology, animal science, or veterinary medicine. 56% of animal scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 24 real animal scientist resumes to see exactly what animal scientist education sections show.
The most common colleges for animal scientists are the Missouri State University and the Missouri State University.
There are also many online animal scientist courses to help get the education required to be an animal scientist.
What education do you need to become an animal scientist?
What degree do you need to be an animal scientist?
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Doctorate, 25%
- Master's, 19%
What should I major in to become an animal scientist?
- Biology, 20%
- Animal Science, 20%
- Veterinary Medicine, 10%
- Agricultural Production Operations, 10%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for animal scientists
| Animal scientist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Missouri State University | 7.69% |
| New Mexico State University | 7.69% |
| Purdue University | 7.69% |
| Western Washington University | 7.69% |
| Hampton University | 7.69% |
Best majors for animal scientists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 20.0% |
| 2 | Animal Science | 20.0% |
| 3 | Veterinary Medicine | 10.0% |
| 4 | Agricultural Production Operations | 10.0% |
| 5 | Zoology | 10.0% |
Best colleges for animal scientists
The best colleges for animal scientists are Cornell University, Stanford University, and Harvard University.
An animal scientist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for animal scientists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become animal scientists.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
3. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
4. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
5. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
6. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
7. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$11,870
Enrollment
53,194
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
10. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
20 best online courses for animal scientists
Advertising disclosure
1. Learn to Animate: Classical 2D Animation for Beginners
A Complete Guide to Animation Principles in Adobe Animate...
2. Animal Communication - Animals and the Afterlife
Exploring death and the afterlife from the animal's point of view using telepathic animal communication...
3. Animating in Adobe Character Animator (2018 Edition)
Learn how to animate characters using your video camera and microphone! No prior animation experience required!...
4. 2D Animation Essentials in Moho & Anime Studio
Learn the essentials and start creating your own character animations...
5. Mastering 2D Animation
Learn to be a master 2D animator, using hand-drawn and digital techniques...
6. 2D Character Animation: Walk Cycles
Design Characters for animation in Adobe Animate : animate a character step by step : animate a full scene...
7. Create Animated Series for YouTube in CrazyTalk Animator 3
Learn to use PSD Characters and Animate Each Episode 3X Faster...
8. Animal Communication - Intermediate
Intermediate level telepathic animal communication made easy...
9. Procedural animation for humans in Unreal Engine 5
Create a dynamic and flexible animation system which can be adapted to any style of character movement...
10. Complete Whiteboard Animation in VideoScribe - 5 Animations
Create Your Own Whiteboard Animations with Video Scribe - No Drawing, Video Editing or Animation Experience Needed!...
11. Adobe Flash/Animate
Learn How to Use the Animation and Interactive Media Industry Standard Software...
12. Animal Reiki Practitioner Certification
Learn how to use Reiki energy to help animals...
13. Creating animation in Synfig Studio
Learn how to create 2D animation with free and open-source software...
14. Direct and Produce Animation
People want to join your project. Learn how to guide them into following your vision for your next Animation...
15. Learn Adobe Character Animator CC
Motion Capture Animation Basics...
16. A complete guide to OpenToonz & Tahoma2D for 2D animation
A full guide to animating traditionally for FREE with Open Toonz & Tahoma2D - 2D animation software...
17. Create hand drawn character animations using Photoshop
Turn hand drawn sketches, characters, typography, and videos into looping animations...
18. Character Animation: Walk Cycles in Adobe After Effects CC
Master how to animate the most common Walk Cycles in Adobe After Effects...
19. Anime Academy: Traditional Anime Drawing!
Learn to draw Anime characters and illustrations traditionally with Pencil and Paper, Watercolor, and Colored Pencils!...
20. Maya for Beginners: Complete 3D Animation Fundamentals
Complete training with practical exercises and comprehensive expert advice to mastering animation fundamentals...
Top 10 most affordable universities for animal scientists
The most affordable schools for animal scientists are University of Florida, university of puerto rico - mayaguez, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for animal scientists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for animal scientists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
5. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for animal scientists
The hardest universities for animal scientists to get into are Cornell University, Stanford University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for animal scientists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for animal scientists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
10. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for animal scientists
The easiest schools for animal scientists to get into are AdventHealth University, texas a&m; university - kingsville, and north dakota state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an animal scientist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for animal scientists.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
3. North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,170
4. Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
79%
SAT average
1,075
5. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
6. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
7. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
8. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
9. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
10. University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,202
Average animal scientist salary by education level
| Animal scientist education level | Animal scientist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $74,493 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,738 |
Animal scientist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
Search for animal scientist jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025